Christopher Dorner sees himself as a crusader, a 6-foot, 270-pound whistleblower who confronted racism early in life and believes he suffered in his career and personal life for challenging injustices from bigotry to dishonesty.
He fulfilled his lifelong dream of becoming a Los Angeles police officer in 2005, but saw it unravel three years later when he was fired after a police review board decided he falsely accused his training officer of kicking a mentally ill man in the face and chest. The incident led Dorner to plot violent revenge against those he thought responsible for his downfall, according to a 14-page manifesto police believe he authored because there are details in it only he would know.
The manifesto reveals a man with varied and sometimes conflicting political views. His two favorite presidents are Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush, in that order; and he says he wants either Hillary Clinton or New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for president in 2016. He also laments the fact that he "won't be around to view and enjoy 'The Hangover III.' What an awesome trilogy."
Police said Dorner began carrying out that plot last weekend when he killed a woman whose father had represented him as he fought to keep his job. On Thursday — the eighth anniversary of his first day on the job with the LAPD — Dorner ambushed two officers, killing one, authorities said.
Also killed was the woman's fiance, whose body was found along with hers in a parked car near the recently engaged couple's condominium.
"I know most of you who personally know me are in disbelief to hear from media reports that I am suspected of committing such horrendous murders and have taken drastic and shocking actions in the last couple of days," the manifesto reads. "You are saying to yourself that this is completely out of character of the man you knew who always wore a smile wherever he was seen."
David Pighin, a neighbor of Dorner in the Orange County community of La Palma, said the ex-officer kept to himself and left his house and his black Nissan Titan, outfitted with tinted windows and custom rims, impeccably clean.
"There wasn't a scratch on it," Pighin said. "I would see him getting out of his truck and walk straight into the house."
The pickup, which had been torched, was found Thursday in mountains east of Los Angeles.
Dorner has no children and court records show his wife filed for divorce in 2007, though there's no evidence one was granted. Pighin believed Dorner lived with his mother and possibly his sister. On Wednesday night, Pighin saw a white van with two armed SWAT officers in front of Dorner's house and later learned about the manhunt.
"We were completely shocked," he said. "This is a good family that appeared to be really nice people. They were really admired in the neighborhood."
Dorner, 33, graduated in 2001 from Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah, school officials said, where he majored in political science and had an unremarkable career as a reserve running back on the football team.
A friend from those days, Jamie Usera, told the Los Angeles Times (http://lat.ms/Xpjawr ) that he saw no red flags. The two would have friendly debates about the extent of racism in the U.S. and take trips into the Utah desert to hunt rabbits, Usera told the newspaper.

This is a new day and some of us are very tired and simply ain't having it no more! I applaud the brother on his principles because I can see by his writings that he is of sane mind...some of us are simply fed up with the B.S....and if this is how he chooses to deal with it, so be it!!!

ye brother. I don't know much about him and I hate to generalise but I feel he is somewhat self-centered and selfish. This is exactly the type of masculine brother we need in the community to mentor the young brothers out there.

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